Boozy Cherry Bombs are made with vodka-soaked maraschino cherries dipped in creamy white chocolate and blue sanding sugar. An easy dessert that’s perfect for the 4th of July, holidays, and parties!

If you love fun, adults-only desserts, be sure to check out my other boozy party treats like Pina Colada Bites, Chocolate Covered Strawberry Jello Shots, Margarita Strawberries, and Aperol Spritz Jello Shots that are just as easy to make and guaranteed to be the hit of any celebration!

Why you’ll love this recipe:

If you’re looking for a fun, no-bake dessert that’s guaranteed to get people talking, these Boozy Cherry Bombs are it. Made with maraschino cherries soaked in vodka, dipped in creamy white chocolate, and coated in sparkling blue sanding sugar, they’re the perfect bite-sized treat for adult gatherings.

They’re festive, incredibly easy to make, and require just a handful of ingredients. Best of all, you can prepare them days ahead of time, making them ideal for holidays, backyard barbecues, birthday parties, and New Year’s Eve celebrations.

Once you make a batch, you’ll understand why they disappear so quickly!

Ingredients you’ll need:

Maraschino cherries- with stems
Vodka
White chocolate chips
Blue sanding sugar

If you’ve never had vodka soaked cherries, you might expect the alcohol to overpower the fruit. Instead, the flavors are surprisingly balanced.

The cherry is still the star of the show, with the vodka adding a gentle warmth rather than a strong alcoholic taste. The white chocolate brings a rich vanilla sweetness that pairs perfectly with the juicy fruit, while the sanding sugar adds a little sparkle and crunch!

Once the cherries are chilled, the crisp chocolate shell and cold, juicy center make every bite even better. Think of them as a grown-up version of a chocolate-covered cherry—only lighter, creamier, and even more fun to eat!

How to make the best Boozy Cherry Bombs:

Drain the syrup from your jars of maraschino cherries. Now you have two options: For sweeter cherries, don’t rinse the syrup from the cherries. For less sweet and stronger vodka cherries, rinse the cherries. (I wanted stronger, less sweet cherry bombs, so I DID rinse the cherries.)
Transfer the drained cherries into a container or bowl, pour in the vodka until all the cherries are submerged, then cover and refrigerate overnight.
The next day, drain the cherries and place them onto a paper towel-lined plate, and pat the cherries dry really well. Tip: Save the cherry-infused vodka for later use!
Line a baking sheet with a piece of parchment paper or a silicone baking mat and set aside.
In a small, microwave-safe bowl, add the white chocolate chips, then microwave in 30 second intervals, stirring in between until melted and smooth.
Working one by one, hold a very dry maraschino cherry by the stem and dip it into the melted white chocolate, covering approximately three-quarters of the cherry with the chocolate.
Once you have dipped the cherry into the white chocolate, dip the bottom of the chocolate dipped cherry into the blue sanding sugar.
Place each dipped cherry bomb onto the prepared baking sheet and make sure that the stem is pointing up. Repeat until all the maraschino cherries have been dipped.
Transfer the tray of cherry bombs into the refrigerator for 30 minutes to chill before serving.

One of the best things about these Boozy Cherry Bombs is how easy they are to make. There’s no baking involved, and most of the time is spent letting the cherries soak in the refrigerator.

They’re also a fantastic make-ahead dessert. In fact, they taste even better after soaking for 2-3 days, so you can check dessert off your to-do list well before guests arrive.

Blue sanding sugar makes these cherries a natural choice for the Fourth of July. Combined with the red cherries and white chocolate, they create a festive red, white, and blue dessert that’s perfect for cookouts and summer parties.

The best part is how easy they are to customize. Simply swap the sanding sugar to match the occasion. Red and green are perfect for Christmas, pink works beautifully for Valentine’s Day, orange and black are fun for Halloween, and gold or silver adds sparkle for New Year’s Eve. With one simple change, you can enjoy this recipe all year long!

My top tips:

CHERRIES: I don’t recommend using fresh cherries here. Fresh cherries have tight skin and dense flesh that doesn’t absorb alcohol the way maraschino cherries do. Maraschino cherries are already softened from the syrup they’re packed in, which makes them absorb the vodka much better.
VODKA: I used Titos Vodka because it’s tried and true for me, but feel free to switch it up with a vanilla flavored vodka to complement the white chocolate coating or if you want a cinnamon kick, swap in Fireball. For a holiday version, use peppermint schnapps.
DRY CHERRIES: Make sure that your cherries are really dry before dipping them into the melted white chocolate. Any excess liquid can cause the white chocolate to seize up and not adhere to the cherries.
MELTING CHOCOLATE: I recommend microwaving the white chocolate in 30 second intervals to prevent any burning. White chocolate can be especially temperamental and prone to clumping, so it’s important to melt it down slowly.
CUSTOMIZING: Switching up the sanding sugar color is the easiest way to customize these for any occasion. You can do green and red for Christmas, pink and red for Valentine’s Day, etc. The red cherry and white chocolate base stays the same, just change the sugar and you have a whole new look!
VIRGIN VERSION: To make these treats kid-friendly, you can skip the step of soaking them in alcohol. For an all-age appropriate snack, simply pat them dry, dip them in melted chocolate, and decorate with sanding sugar, nonpareils, or other sprinkles of your choice.
STORING: Store these Boozy Cherry Bombs in a single layer in an airtight container in the fridge and enjoy within 1 to 2 days to prevent moisture from ruining the coating.

Looking for more fruity desserts? Check these out!

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